They grow up so fast...

My 7 year old twins have gone to their first sleepover birthday party tonight. I miss them and they are only just down the road :( When did they grow up? How did those 7 years go by so quickly? When you hold your first born in your arms for the first time you can't imagine them being a toddler, talking, going to school and suddenly they are doing it all! Suddenly , 7 years on, I am worrying about how quickly they will be driving, sleeping over at friends houses and oh so many other things that I can't bring myself to even type! Once a parent you are changed forever.

Rufus didn't like them being away either...he's a sensitive soul :)

We have had a great few days. Rufus is now potty trained at 2 years & 4 months, my little boy is also changing so rapidly. I see what all of the people who were parents before me meant when they told me to cherish every moment with them and NEVER to wish my own or their lives away. Immerse yourself in every stage of their development, however trying it may seem and most of all fill their days with happiness as they fill yours. A friend recently posted this on her Facebook status...

Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles; it empties today of its strength."

They are so right...

The sun is shining, all is right with our world at last

There are days when life with my children & husband is so idyllic that I want to burst! Today is such a day, a day I wanted to spend just with them and so we did! We've shopped a little, watched the narrow boats lazing on the canal, eaten heartily and just enjoyed one another's company. My camera hasn't stopped snapping!

It's a far cry from 5 weeks ago (Mother's Day) when we were torn apart by an ambulance arriving around 6am to take our youngest, 14 month old Herbie, to hospital where he was urgently treated for bacterial meningitis. If your child has ever been whisked from your arms by a paramedic as you screamed hysterically after them you'll have some idea of what I went through that morning, if not I hope you never ever do.

Meningitis ... what do you think of? Rash? The tumbler test? Loss of limbs? Death?

None of these, thankfully, feature in our tale. (which you can read here...http://www.meningitis.org/book-of-experience/herbie-taylor-36892). Meningitis hit us like a free rolling truck and dragged us along for almost 3 weeks before finally letting us go. Our 3 other children, 7 year old twins Lily & Kitty and 2 year old Rufus were split up, living with our respective parents and we ate and slept in the walls of the hospital.

So today we feel like we were almost the family we were BEFORE meningitis. I say almost because Herbie is still not walking (he was before) but he's cruising again. We will also never truly be the same family...it's changed us despite the happy outcome. For a start I'm blogging...here is where I will note things about our family as we leave the Meningitis detour and head out back on our journey .